Apparatus for handling articles



Sept. 20, 955 c. H. WESTERMEYER ,7

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Filed June 22. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l lNl/EN TOR C H. WES TEWEVER q N m 5/ m x g m Q ATTORNEY Sept. 20, 1955 c. H. WESTERMEYER 2,718,321

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Filed June 22. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

lNl/EN TOR C. H WESTERMEYER Ar TORNEV United States Patent APPARATUS OR HANDLING ARTICLES Charles H. Westermeyer, Dundalk, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 22, 1950, Serial N 0. 169,715

8 Claims. (Cl. 214-658) This invention relates to apparatus for handling articles, and more particularly to apparatus for insuring positive engagement of articles by article-engaging elements.

In the manufacture of communication cables and the like, a cable often is wound upon large reels. These reels sometimes must be transported relatively long distances in a plant, and cranes having expansible grapples for engaging such reels have been used for such purposes. However, in the past there has been no satisfactory apparatus for insuring that the grapples positively engage the reels before the grapples can be lifted, or for preventing release of articles by the grapples after the articles have been raised thereby from a support.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for handling articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for insuring positive engagement of articles by article-lifting apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for insuring that a grapple positively engages a reel to be lifted and prevents opening of the grapple after a reel engaged thereby has been lifted and is supported by the grapple.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may include a pair of arms, means for moving the arms into engagement with an article, means for lifting the arms together to raise an article gripped thereby and means operable by the article for preventing operation of the lifting means when the arms are only partially engaged by an article. This apparatus also preferably includes means for preventing movement of the arms when the arms are under load.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of an apparatus forming a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary, elevation of an apparatus forming one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical, partially sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical section of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a control circuit for the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a crane system includes a pair of tracks -10 on which a bridge 12 travels under the control of a crane operator in a cage 14 carried thereby. A carriage 16 may be moved to the right or left, as viewed in Fig. 1, under the control of the operator, and supports a grapple 18 by cables 20-20. The grapple 18 includes a horizontal track 22 (Fig. 2) on which arms 23 and 24 are mounted for movement to gether or apart by oppositely threaded screw shafts 25 and 26, which engage threaded collars 29-29 and 30-30, respectively. The shafts 25 and 26 may be rotated either n a direction moving the arms 23 and 24 together or in a direction moving them apart by an electric motor 32 through gearing 34.

Since the arms 23 and 24 are identical in construction, but reversed, only the arm 23 will be described in detail. A flange-engaging pin 38 (Figs. 2 and 4) is fixed in a bore 39 formed in the arm 23 by a pin 40. A limit switch 42 fastened to the arm 23 has a pivotal actuating arm 44 secured thereto in a position in the path of a collar 46 fixed to a push rod 48 mounted slidably in a bore 50 extending through the arm 23. The push rod 48 is urged to the left, as viewed in Fig. 4, by a compression spring 52 seated on a pin 54 carried by a plate 56 secured to the limit switch 42 and in a socket 58 formed in the collar 46. A feeler arm 60 pivotally mounted on the arm 23 by a pin 62 is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, by a flange 64 of a reel 66 when the pin 38 is properly located under the flange 64 in position to lift the reel. As the pin 38 is so positioned and the feeler arm 60 is pivoted by the reel flange 64, the collar 46 engages the arm 44 and actuates the switch 42 to close a contact 70 and open a contact 72.

The grapple arm 24 (Fig. 2) includes a flange-engaging pin 74 and a feeler arm 76. As the pin 74 is positioned properly with respect to a second flange 78 of the reel 66 for lifting the reel, the feeler arm 76 is pivoted in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, to actuate a limit switch 79 (Fig. 5) carried by the arm 24, which is like the limit switch 42. The switch 79 also includes a contact 82.

The switches 42 and 79 are connected across two conductors of a three-phase power line 80, and when they are actuated by inward movement of the feeler arms 60 and 76, contacts 70 and 81 (Fig. 5) forming parts of those switches are closed. When contacts 72 and 82 are open, a relay winding 83 is deenergized to close a contact 84 to light a lamp 85, which indicates that both grapple arms properly engage the reel. The contacts 70 and 81 are normally open, and are in series with one another and a winding 86 of a relay 87 having contacts 88-88 in series with a hoist motor 90. When the contacts 88-88 and contacts 89-89 of a relay having a winding 91 in series with a momentary switch contact 92 are closed, the hoist motor lifts the grapple through the cables 20-20. The hoist motor 90 also may be similarly energized provided a limit switch 93 is closed. Thus, both the limit switch 42 and the limit switch 79 must be actuated by the feeler arms 60 and 76 with the pins 38 and 74 both positioned under the flanges 64 and 78, respectively, or the switch 93 must be closed before the hoist motor 90 can be actuated to lift the grapple 18.

The contacts 72 and 82 of the switches 42 and 79, respectively, are connected in parallel with one another and in series with a relay winding 94 and a normally open contact 95 of a manually operable, momentary switch 96. Contacts 97-97 are closed by energization of the winding 94, and are in series with the grapple motor 32 in the closing circuit thereto. Thus, when both the pin 38 and the pin 74 have been moved sufliciently far under the flanges 64 and 78 toforce the feeler arms 60 and 76 far enough to open contacts 72 and 84 the relay winding 94 is deenergized and the grapple motor 32 is deenergized.

Contacts 98-98 controlled by a relay winding 99 must be closed to drive the motor 32 in a direction opening the arms of the grapple. A contact 100 of the manually operable switch 96, a contact 101 of a limit switch 102 and a contact 104 of a switch 105 also must be closed to en ergize the winding 99 to drive the motor 32 in a grappleopening direction. When the contacts 98-98 are closed by energization of the relay winding 99, the grapple motor 32 is energized to run in a direction opening the arms 23 and 24 until the switch 96 is released or until an actuator 106 carried with the arm 24 (Fig. 2) actuates the switch 102, whichever occurs first.

The cables 2tl2t) (Figs. 1 and 2) support a beam 110 through which a rod 112 is slidably mounted. The rod 112 is connected rigidly to the track 22, and is supported by a plate 114 urged upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 3, by a compression spring 116 away from the beam 119. A nut 11S and a pin 120 limit expansion ofthe spring 116. The switches 93 and 105 include switch arms I21. and 122, respectively, and are carried by a spring guide 123 fastened to the beam 110 against movement relative thereto. When there is no load on the rod 112, the switches 93 and 105 are held in their closed positions by hooks 124 and 125, respectively, secured adjnstably to the plate 114 by cap screws 117-117 projecting through slots 128128.

When the grapple is. lifted through the beam 119, the spring 116, the nut 11S and the rod 112, the weight of the reel compresses the spring 116' sufi'lciently to permit the switches 93 and 105 to open by spring action. The switch 105 (Fig. then prevents accidental energization of the grapple motor 32 in a grapple-opening direction, and the opening of the switch 93 prevents further energization of the hoist motor 90 unless both of the contacts '70 and. 81 are closed. Thus, accidental dropping of the reel by opening of the grapple or by accidental actuation of the switch 96 is prevented.

Operation The operator of the crane locates the grapple 18 in a position in which the arms 23 and 24 (Fig- 2) bracket the reel 66. The operator then actuates the switch 96 to close the contacts 95, which energizes the grapple motor 32 in grapple-closing direction, whereupon the threaded shafts 25 and 26 are driven in a direction moving the arms 23 and 24 toward one another. This movement continues until both of the pins 38 and 74 are positioned completely under the flanges 64 and 78, respectively, and the flanges 64 and 78 have moved the feeler arms 60 and 76, respectively, sufficiently to actuate the switches 42 and 79 to close contacts 70 and 81 and to open contacts 72 and 82. Opening of the contacts 72 and 82 deenergizes the motor 32, and causes the lamp 85 to be lighted, thereby indicating to the operator that the pins 38 and 74 are positioned properly.

The operator then manually closes the switch 92 to actuate the hoist motor 90 to raise the grapple 18. As the grapple begins to lift the reel 66 off the floor, the rod 112 bears directly the weight of the reel 66,- compresses the compression spring 116 and pulls the plate 114 downwardly relative to the switches 93 and 105, thereby permitting the switches 93 and- 105 to be opened by spring action. Opening of the switch 105 breaks the circuit to the relay winding 99 so that accidental actuation of the manually operable switch 96 will not energize the motor 32 to open the arms 23 and 24 of the grapple while there is any load on the. grapple. Opening of the switch 93 causes deenergization of the relay winding 86 and of the hoist motor 90 if either of contacts 70 and 81 is open.

After the reel 66 has been transported to its desired location, the grapple 18 is lowered until the reel 66 rests on a floor or other support. As the load is taken off the rod 112, the compression spring 116 moves the plate 114 and the hooks 123 and 124 carried therewith to close the switches 93 and 105 through the switch arms 12-1 and 122, respectively. The switch contact 100 then is closed manually to energize the relay winding 99, which closes the contacts 9898 to drive the motor 32 in a grappleopening direction. After the arms 23 and 24 have been moved sutficiently apart to permit removal of the grapple from the reel, the switch contact 100 is permittedto open by spring action. The operator then closes the switch contact 92 to close contacts 89-89, and since the relay winding 86 has been energized by the closing of the switch 93, this energizes the hoist motor in a grappleraising direction, and the grapple is raised even though no load is thereon.

The above-described apparatus positively prevents hoisting a reel which is not completely engaged by the grapple arms, and prevents opening of the grapple arms whenever the weight of a reel is supported thereby. Thus, this apparatus prevents accidents caused by dropping of reels because it is impossible to lift a reel that is partially but not fully engaged by the lifting pins and it also is impossible to move these pins away from each other while the weight of a reel is supported thereby.

While this invention has been illustrated as applied to cranes designed to lift and transport cable reels, it is obvious that the salient features of the invention may be embodied in apparatus intended to handle articles of various sizes and configurations.

What is claimed is:

l. A hoist system, which comprises a pair of grapple arms, means for supporting the grapple arms in spaced relationship with respect to each other, opposed articleengag'ing elements mounted on the grapple arms, means selectively operable for moving the grapple arms toward one another to move the article-engaging elements into engagement with complementary portions of an article to be lifted and for moving said arms apart, feeler members mounted on the grapple arms adjacent to said article-engaging elements and arranged to be actuated when the article is fully engaged by said elements, power means for raising the grapple arm-supporting means, and means operable by the weight of an article supported by the grapple arms for preventing operation of the power means when one or more of the feeler members is not actuated.

2. An article-handling apparatus, which comprises a pair of. opposed grapple arms, a pair of pins mounted on the grapple arms designed to be moved by the grapple arms into interlocking engagement with a reel, a power line, a reversible electric grapple motor for moving the grapple arms toward and away from one another, a normally open, manually operable switch for causing energization of the motor in an arm-opening direction when closed, an elec tric hoist motor for raising the grapple arms when energized, a limit switch having a normally closed contact in series with said normally open switch, and means responsive to a load on the grapple arms for opening the contact of said limit switch to prevent energization of the grapple motor in a direction opening the grapple arms.

3". An article-handling apparatus, which comprises a pair of opposed grapple arms, a pair of pins mounted on the grapple arms designed to be moved by the grapple arms into interlocking engagement with a reel, a power line, means for moving the grapple arms toward one another to move the pins into interlocking engagement with a reel, an electric hoist motor for raising the grapple arms when energized, a pair of switches having normally open contacts connected to the power line and the hoist motor in series with one another, a pair of feelers carried by the arms and operable by the reel when the pins are in interlocking engagement with the reel for actuating the switches to close said contacts to permit energization of the hoist motor, a manually operable switch in series with said pair of switches for causing energization of the hoist motor when both of the normally open contacts are closed, a fourth switch having a normally closed contact in parallel with said normally open contacts and in series with the manually operable switch, the hoist motor and the power line, and means responsive to a load on the grapple arms for opening the contact of said fourth switch,

whereby, if there is a load on the grapple arms and either of said normally open contacts is open, the hoist motor is deenergized.

4. An article-handling apparatus, which comprises a pair of opposed grapple arms, a pair of pins mounted on the grapple. arms designed to engage the flanges of a reel,

a power line, a reversible electric grapple motor for moving the grapple arms toward and away from one another, a pair of switches having normally closed contacts connected to the power line and the grapple motor in parallel with one another, a normally open, manually operable switch in series with the contacts and the grapple motor for causing energization of the grapple motor when closed, a pair of feelers carried by the arms operable by the flanges of the reel when the pins are properly positioned under the flanges for actuating individually the contacts of said pair of switches to open said contacts to stop the grapple motor, an electric hoist motor for raising the grapple arms when energized, a pair of normally open contacts in series with one another, the hoist motor and the power line closable by the feelers when the feelers open the first-mentioned contacts of said pair of switches, a manually operable switch in series with the hoist motor and the normally open contacts for causing energization of the hoist motor when both the normally open contacts are closed, a fourth switch having a normally closed contact in parallel with said normally open contacts and the hoist motor, means responsive to a load on the grapple arms for opening the contact of said fourth switch, whereby, if there is a load on the grapple arms and either of said normally open contacts is open, the hoist motor is deenergized, and a fifth switch having a normally closed contact in series with said first-mentioned contacts and the grapple motor designed when open to prevent energization of the grapple motor in a direction opening the grapple arms, said load responsive means serving to open the contact of said fifth switch when there is a load on the grapple arms.

5. An article-handling apparatus, which comprises a pair of opposed grapple arms, a pair of pins mounted on the grapple arms designed to be moved by the grapple arms under flanges of a reel, a power line, a reversible electric grapple motor for moving the grapple arms toward one another to move the pins under the flanges of a reel, a pair of switches having normally closed contacts connected across the power line in parallel with one another, a relay having a winding in series with the normally closed contacts and the power line and also provided with normally open contacts in series with the motor and the power line, a normally open, manually. operable switch in series with the contacts of the switches for causing energization of the relay winding when closed, a pair of feelers carried by the arms operable by the flanges of the reel when the pins are properly positioned under the flanges for actuating the switches to open said contacts to stop the motor, an electric hoist motor for raising the grapple arms when energized, a pair of normally open contacts in series with one another closable by the feelers when the feelers open the first-mentioned contacts of the switches, a manually operable switch in series with the normally open contacts for causing energization of the hoist motor when both the normally open contacts are closed, a fifth switch having a normally closed contact in parallel with said normally open contacts, a relay having a winding in series with the normally open contacts, the power line and the normally closed contact or" said fifth switch and also provided with normally open contacts in series with the hoist motor and the power line, means responsive to a load on the grapple arms for opening the contact of said fifth switch, whereby, if there is a load on the grapple arms and either of said normally open contacts is open, the hoist motor is deenergized, a third relay having a winding and normally open contacts in series with the grapple motor and the power line for reversing the motor when the contacts of said third relay are closed, and a sixth switch having a normally closed contact in series with the winding of said third relay and the power line designed when open to prevent energization of the grapple motor in a direction opening the grapple arms, said load responsive means serving to open the contact of said sixth switch when there is a load on the grapple arms.

6. A hoist system, which comprises a pair of grapple arms, means for supporting the grapple arms in spaced relationship with respect to each other, opposed articleengaging elements mounted on the grapple arms, means selectively operable for moving the grapple arms toward one another to move the article-engaging elements into engagement with complementary portions of an article to be lifted and for moving said grapple arms apart, feeler members mounted on the grapple arms adjacent to said article-engaging elements and arranged to be actuated when the article is fully engaged by said elements, power means for raising the grapple arm-supporting means, weight-responsive means operated by the weight of the article on the grapple arms for preventing operation of the power means when one or more of the feeler members is not actuated, and a second weight-responsive means operated by the weight of the article on the grapple arms for preventing said grapple arms from being moved apart, thereby preventing the release of the article while it is being supported by the grapple arms.

7. A hoist system, which comprises a pair of grapple arms, means for supporting the grapple arms in spaced relationship with respect to each other, opposed article-engaging elements mounted on the grapple arms, means selectively operable for moving the grapple arms toward one another to move the article-engaging elements into engagement with complementary portions of an article to be lifted and for moving said grapple arms apart, feeler members mounted on the grapple arms adjacent to said article-engaging elements and arranged to be actuated when the article is engaged securely by said elements, power means for raising the grapple arm supporting means, and weight-responsive means operated by the weight of the article on the grapple arms for preventing the grapple arms from being moved apart, thereby preventing the release of the article while it is being supported by the grapple arms.

8. A hoist system, which comprises a pair of opposed grapple arms, a reversible electric motor, means selectively operable for energizing said motor to move the grapple arms toward one another into interlocking engagement with an article, a pair of feelers mounted on the grapple arms engageable and actuatable by an article when said grapple arms are in complete engagement with the article, means selectively operable for energizing said motor to move the grapple arms apart, means for lifting the grapple arms, and weight-responsive means operated by the weight of the article for rendering inoperative said means for energizing the motor to move the grapple arms apart, thereby preventing the release of the article while it is being supported by the grapple arms.

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